West Hartford's Work in Progress Group Fitness Draws Strength From Partnership

The business model may be as old as commerce itself and yet still difficult to execute: Prospective owner decides to open a shop that he or she would like to patronize.

To be sure, many fail because they are either too ambitious (“I want gold-plated ceilings and toilet seats!”) or too specialized (“Liver and onions ice cream is the next big thing!”)

But when new business owners hit the sweet spot, that’s the stuff of success.

Which brings us to West Hartford’s Work in Progress Group Fitness, opened in April by friends Mary Kate Doyle and Laura Keever at 485 New Park Ave.

Doyle and Keever both said in an interview last week that they wanted to open a place where they would want to workout.

So, at a time when Bootcamps and CrossFit spaces look like something out of a Nine Inch Nails video or "Saw" movie, Work in Progress has a pleasant, inviting atmosphere, complete with a “Goal Board” and a room for day care.

Unlike many workout places, Work in Progress’ website is active and the owners post to their blog frequently.

There’s air conditioning and the music is chosen by the clients. The trainers only train - they do not sell any additional services. Clients sign agreements, but aren’t locked into iron-clad contracts. Memberships can be canceled with no penalties with 30 days’ notice, Keever said.

For those who workout less frequently, there is a punch-card system that can be shared with, say, a husband or wife.

Choosing a user friendly approach was simple for the owners.

“We’re clients, we’re not trainers,” Keever said. “We care about the experience, which we think is as important as the workout.”

“As clients, we asked, ‘What do we want?’” Doyle asked rhetorically. “Flexibility.”

Not that the workout is a cakewalk. Far from it.

Indeed, Doyle and Keever noted that the two trainers they employ - one a Marine who is a veteran of Afghanistan, the other a former college athlete who competes in Ironman events and runs marathons for fun (as in, “I think I’ll run a marathon today.”)

The Bootcamp-style workout is high intensity and circuit-based, where one can burn 600 calories in 50 minutes. No two workouts are the same and clients don’t know what to expect from one day to the next.

“The trainers push you beyond your limits, but in an encouraging way,” Doyle said.

So far, the Keever-Doyle partnership has worked, with the fitness center claiming about 80 clients and counting.

Doyle and Keever are friends, West Hartford residents and mothers.

“The strongest part of the business is the partnership,” Doyle said.

The ultimate judges of the business - the Work in Progress clientele - give it rave reviews.

“I think it’s great,” said Marissa Gingeleskie, who has referred her friends to Work in Progress. “It’s a great atmosphere that you get as well as the incredible workout. I’ve worked out my entire life, but [with Work in Progress] I am able to change my body in a way I never thought I could. … The trainers push you to the right degree and I’ve never had same workout twice. I have been thrilled with it.”

Tim Walsh agreed.

“It’s a great concept and people really like the way it’s an efficient way to get a lot of exercise,” he said. “You don’t know what the workout is, but you know it’s an intense workout and quite a bit of fun.”